Milan Express, Inc. - Milan, Tn.?

Discussion in 'Motor Carrier Questions - The Inside Scoop' started by Jacoba, Sep 10, 2006.

  1. Jacoba

    Jacoba Bobtail Member

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    Sep 10, 2006
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    Been driving for us express for 3 yrs. now. looking at Milan Express. Any comments on this company? Thanks
     
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  3. TurboTrucker

    TurboTrucker Road Train Member

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    Feb 23, 2005
    Rossville, Georgia
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    Well...my personal experience with them was horrible. I leased on two trucks with them in 1997, and for the first few months, all went okay....nothing to brag about, but the trucks made a few dollars a week.

    By the fourth month, these trucks were seeing 900 miles a week.

    Let me tell you about their operation. Numero Uno, is their LTL division. No road truck will be dispatched untl they know that all of their LTL runs are covered, and this will not be until around 17:00 each day.

    So, they like to make people sit around and wait to see what the day cabs pick up in the cities, and then they run down the lists of trucks that arrived that morning, and all those drivers are waking up, and are wanting to get to work. Then there is more waiting, because they dole out the loads, as the trucks arrived at the terminals or emptied out, as the case may be.

    The bottom line is, you'll do a great deal of sleeping in the day, and running your hiney off at night, and the only exception to that, is if you are considering a city job.

    I've not heard much from the grapevine, that suggests to me, that they have improved one iota from when I tried to work with them. And given the fact that they are constantly running ads everywhere, I think it's safe to bet that I am not far off the mark in 2006.

    I'd question them very carefully about what you will be doing, and what your average week will be like, before you decide to wade into the waters in Jackson, Tennessee.

    And BTW, if you were looking at that big, gigantic $15,000 bonus for working for them for five years and running 525,000 miles, don't expect to ever see it.
     
  4. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Sep 19, 2005
    Baltimore, MD
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    Ah, more of the old bait-and-switch, huh?
     
  5. TurboTrucker

    TurboTrucker Road Train Member

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    Feb 23, 2005
    Rossville, Georgia
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    I don't think much has changed with them folks, and in order for this to even become a reality, a driver would have to consistently run 2,020 miles if they never took a vacation.

    If they took two weeks off each year, they would have to average 2,100 miles per week.

    Now I know that this doesn't sound so undoable, and it isn't, if they gave you the miles to do it. Drivers with that company do more sitting around and waiting for command decisions to be made, than I have ever seen anyplace else. And one of the most frustrating things in the world with them, was to sit around and wait for your name to be called, just to see a 300 mile run for the entire day, just to sit all day the next and hope for more.

    A GOOD week for me, was if I hit the 2,300 mark. And for the most part, it had to be done through the week, because weekend work wasn't widespread at all. That place rolls up the sidewalk on Friday night, and opens back up on Monday morning.

    They prioritize that LTL division, and it makes no matter if you are OTR or not. Until they have every LTL movement covered, they hold off dispatching OTR trucks until late in the day, and it was nothing at all to them to inconvenience a driver like that.

    I had a witch of a dispatcher. She was crafty as the dickens too. I was patient and as pleasant as I could be, but after three weeks of barely averaging 1,200 miles per week during their slow time of the year, and getting not response from her at all, and nothing more than a grunt from her on the day I was a bit more pushy on the issue, I respectfully told her that I was going to make a request for a new dispatcher. That was a big mistake.

    In the two minutes from the time that I hung up with her, and was connected with her supervisor, that witch had told him that I sexually harrassed her, and he was livid. I knew in fifteen seconds that my side of the story was not going to matter, and that this job was over, and that quickly as well.

    I will wonder for the rest of my life, how many other drivers that she pulled that crap on, before they began to doubt her. Ah...some people.

    I was so mad, that I walked next door from their terminal in Knoxville, Tennessee, to a store next to it, bought me one of those razor blade scrapers, went back to my truck, and spent the next ten minutes scraping the fuel stickers and the signs off of that truck, and all the paint under them that came with them. I politely went inside and placed the shards of plastic on the Terminal Managers desk.

    I bobtailed home, and spent the next couple of days repainting the damage I did to my truck with that scraper. I considered it therapy.

    It was the one time that I left a place under what I coin to be bad circumstances, and didn't care about it either. They amazingly did not offer a bad reference on me, which blew me away, but then I truly was not cross with anyone. I was boiling on the inside, but outwardly, you'd have never known it. It's a wonder I didn't pop a vein that day.

    There just isn't any love lost between myself and Milan Express, and until today, I haven't given that place very much thought...because just writing about this, has my blood pressure up a notch or two. :sad11: :smt076 :smt013 :smt091
     
  6. BamaGirl

    BamaGirl Bobtail Member

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    Feb 22, 2007
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    You know your just not right about all this. My hubby has worked there for almost 6 yrs now and he did get the bonus. You are wrong also about how much the bonus is. $10,000 not $15,000. Sounds like you dont even know the facts.

    As about the miles you said you got durning the week,sounds like you were the one that didnt want any miles. They are out there you must have been one of the ones that just took your time and not deliver on time. Hubby gets between 2,900-3,400 miles per week and home on friday nights!
     
  7. Truckerjo

    Truckerjo Road Train Member

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    Indiana
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    Wow turbotrucker, I never heard of a dispatcher going that low. Some evil times we live in.. Most of the larger companies record their conversations anymore. Sounds like the chick had a mental problem or something along those lines.

    BamaGirl
    Anything is possible with any company. get hooked up with a good dispatcher and your life will be easy. Always 2 sides of the story and that's whats great about forums like this. You get to see both sides, usually more bad then good but still you can get a good ideal.
     
  8. sevenmph

    sevenmph Road Train Member

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    Jan 26, 2007
    Pinellas county Florida
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    I would really be interested on some updates with this company. I have talked to several of there drivers and all had good things to say. Although, one did say he has been through alot of dispatchers.

    I do believe I see something in the previous posts but I'm not sure.
    Are both of the drivers who had problems O/O's?
    And are they treated differently, and unfairly?
     
  9. tonyb103

    tonyb103 Bobtail Member

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    Nov 3, 2010
    Trenton, Tn
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    Well, things have taken a turn for the better here at Milan. I started driving for them back in July. I've been getting as many miles as I can run legally. I run electronic logs, they only have 50 drivers using them at the moment, but are likely going to have all drivers on it soon. I'm averaging around 2500 miles a week, and the pay went back up to .324 cpm. The reason for the pay cut last year was, if they hadn't cut the pay, they would have gone the way of Arrow trucking and closed their doors. They brought it up again as soon as things got better. They've also restored all paid holidays, and vacation pay. I like the company since I've been here, and I have no plans to go anywhere else. Everyone has to understand out there that with the economy the way it is, sometimes it's better to ride it out and come out good in the long run. Don't run at the first sign of a down turn cuz it ain't always greener on the other side. I've been in this business for 20 years as an owner op and a company driver, you have to be able to deal with changes as they come!

    Oh, they do have owner ops again to. I don't know anything about the school at all. They also bought 70 new OTR trucks last year, all of em Pro Stars with 10 speeds. Hopefully that will continue because I hate automatics!

    Good luck and God Bless!
     
  10. Mortar Man

    Mortar Man Road Train Member

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    keep us updated
     
    tonyb103 Thanks this.
  11. sdc49

    sdc49 Bobtail Member

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    Jan 16, 2012
    adamsville, tn
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    Do you have any information on maintance of trucks and how they were treated, purchasing a 2006 freightliner 14.0 detriot, Thanks
     
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